Kit Review

Straight build + panel lining + partial painting

HG Gouf Ignited (Heine Westenfluss Custom) - Size comparison with a cigarette pack. On the right is a special guest appearance this time — a li

Size comparison with a cigarette pack. On the right is a special guest appearance this time — a lighter I got at the meetup!
This is to celebrate the successful conclusion of Dalong.net's 2nd meetup ^-^

HG Gouf Ignited (Heine Westenfluss Custom)

HG Gouf Ignited (Heine Westenfluss Custom) - The head is quite controversial. The originally flat head got stretched taller, pushing the face f

The head is quite controversial. The originally flat head got stretched taller, pushing the face forward...
Compared to the original Gouf, the proportions do look a bit off;

HG Gouf Ignited (Heine Westenfluss Custom) - It comes with a metal shaft that you'd rarely even see in most MG kits. A great little addition th

It comes with a metal shaft that you'd rarely even see in most MG kits.
A great little addition that keeps the wing articulation nice and sturdy!

HG Gouf Ignited (Heine Westenfluss Custom) - They even include a separate tool part specifically for pressing in the metal shaft, since it'd be

They even include a separate tool part specifically for pressing in the metal shaft, since it'd be tough to push in by hand. Nice touch.

HG Gouf Ignited (Heine Westenfluss Custom) - The white parts on the wings are handled with good-quality seals, but... both sides of the wings s

The white parts on the wings are handled with good-quality seals, but...
Both sides of the wings should be white, yet seals are only provided for the outer side;;
Similar situation to what we had with Freedom.

HG Gouf Ignited (Heine Westenfluss Custom) - So I just went ahead and painted all the white areas — front, back, and top — myself. After some s

So I just went ahead and painted all the white areas — front, back, and top — myself.
After some simple masking, I sprayed 3 thin coats of surfacer followed by 3 thin coats of flat white.

HG Gouf Ignited (Heine Westenfluss Custom) - The Tempest Beam Sword is molded entirely in black, which is completely off from the intended colo

The Tempest Beam Sword is molded entirely in black, which is completely off from the intended colors.

HG Gouf Ignited (Heine Westenfluss Custom) - Surfacer → base white → yellow → flat top coat, spraying a total of about 10 coats, then brush-pai

Surfacer → base white → yellow → flat top coat, spraying a total of about 10 coats,
The gray and red parts were brush-painted with enamel.
Yellow is so translucent that the color just won't show up without going through this kind of grind.
Whether you're using a spray can or an airbrush, never spray too much at once — thin coats, multiple times is the key!

The shield is also pretty bare...

Simple masking followed by partial painting.

HG Gouf Ignited (Heine Westenfluss Custom) - The color separation on the main body is nearly perfect... and with some partial painting on the w

The color separation on the main body is nearly perfect...
With some partial painting on the wings, shield, and weapons, you can really take the overall look up a notch.

HG Gouf Ignited (Heine Westenfluss Custom) - The Slayer Whip (a.k.a. the heat rod) comes in two forms — a curved version and a fully extended s

The Slayer Whip (a.k.a. the heat rod) comes in two forms — a curved version and a fully extended straight version.

A separate right hand for holding the Slayer Whip is included.

The Gouf Ignited's stand boasts the most combination options of any stand to date.

HG Gouf Ignited (Heine Westenfluss Custom) - Even with casual assembly, you can get 8 or more different height, angle, and position configurati

Even with casual assembly, you can get 8 or more different height, angle, and position configurations like that.
Honestly feels like more than anyone would ever actually need... maybe a bit overly generous?;;

The port on the rear end where the stand plugs in can be covered with a cap when not in use.

HG Gouf Ignited (Heine Westenfluss Custom) - Articulation looks a step below the Zaku Warrior, but the stand makes up for it quite a bit. That

Articulation looks a step below the Zaku Warrior, but the stand makes up for it quite a bit.
That said, the articulation shots somehow come off looking a little cocky...;

The L-shaped ball-joint shoulders can also swing nearly 90 degrees forward.

Action pose!

Action pose with the beam gun mounted on the forearm.

Action pose on the stand with wings spread.

The stand didn't really need to be made that big though...;;

Just like the original Gouf, it hides a sword inside the shield.

Tempest Beam Sword action!

Since you can change the angle with the stand combinations, poses like this are possible too.

Thanks to the stand, dynamic flying action poses are totally doable.

A fully horizontal 180-degree flying pose can be recreated too.

A shot with the Zaku Warrior.

HG Gouf Ignited (Heine Westenfluss Custom) - A shot with the original Gouf (HGUC). It's actually gotten a bit shorter. Overall, the original Go

A shot with the original Gouf (HGUC). It's actually gotten a bit shorter.
Overall, the original Gouf's design does look more balanced and solid. Old school is best.

Metal shaft and a top-tier stand included!
The Gouf Ignited is a surprisingly luxurious HG kit~

Straight build photos

Following the Zaku Warrior — which feels like a parody(?) of the Zaku — the Gouf has now been reborn in a Destiny-era version. Its name: the Gouf Ignited...
(a bit of a mouthful to say, not a fan~) I guess you could roughly translate it as "Burning Gouf" or something like that.

Anyway, it takes the classic Gouf design and gives it a slightly more modern twist, with the color scheme changed to an orange palette befitting Heine Westenfluss's custom unit.
The original Gouf's heat rod has been reimagined as the Slayer Whip, and instead of finger weapons, a beam gun is mounted on the forearm. The most significant difference is probably the backpack, which is a flight pack (very similar concept to the Force pack). The head has also been stretched a bit taller vertically... but it seems to have drawn some criticism from the start for looking a bit off, so this one will really come down to personal taste.

As a kit, it has a similar feel to the Zaku Warrior — excellent color separation on the main body, tight joints, decent articulation, and solid proportions. Articulation is a notch below the Zaku Warrior, but the stand compensates for that. The wing color separation is handled with seals, but since they only cover one side (the outer side) rather than both, it ends up looking a bit half-baked. So I painted all the white on the wings myself, and also did partial painting on the shield and beam sword since they were way off from the intended colors. Just getting those weapons painted properly really brings the kit to life.^^

One standout feature is the metal shaft used for the wing articulation! It's surprising to see a metal rod — something you'd rarely find even in MG kits — included in a SEED HG. On top of that, since pressing the shaft in by hand would be tricky, they even include a dedicated tool part to make it easy. As a result, the wings are incredibly durable, and the movement is stiff enough that they never droop or sag.

Lately, stands have been included with kits more and more often, and it seems Bandai has finally caught on to the fact that kits with stands sell well. ^^; In some ways, the Gouf Ignited's stand is more luxurious than any 1/144-scale stand that's come before it. By combining three support parts in various ways, you can achieve 8 or more positions, angles, and weight distributions. In practice, you might wonder if you'd ever really need that many configurations... but the sheer freedom it offers is hard not to appreciate.

Action poses on the stand look very natural, and with the solid proportions, it cuts quite a striking figure. The tight joints are especially great — whatever pose you put it in, it holds firmly in place. The stand alone feels like it elevates the kit's quality by a huge margin.

This kit gives the impression that the SEED HG line is gradually evolving, and it feels like a step above other HG kits. If you like the design, you won't regret the quality! Whatever you think of its origins, the quality here deserves recognition.^^

HG Gouf Ignited (Heine Westenfluss Custom) | 2005. 5 | ¥1,500

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.